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Lycanthromancer
2010-04-11, 03:04 PM
I've got a synad shaper5/constructor6 (getting into his PrC one level early through psychic reformation shenanigans), and though I haven't actually joined in on a session, he's already gotten to draw from a deck of many things (luckily I drew a lot of cards, as they pretty well hate me; it took me 5 drawn wishes from cards AND an 'undo misfortune' card just to keep from getting screwed royally, and I STILL had some unfortunate cards left over, such as the following).

I drew the fight-vs-the-dread-wraith card, and had to fight it by myself, CR 11 vs CR 11, and I realized that I was sorely underequipped to handle incorporeal creatures, but for the fact that I Overchanneled a couple of astral constructs (with a +1 ML from a bound-to-hands-chakra lesser metamagic rod of Extend) to hit it with free action concussion blasts each round.

I could've done the fight better (hindsight is always that way, innit?), but it was still a rough fight.

My basic build info is as follows:RACE/AGE/ETC: Med Male synad (formerly blue goblin) shaper/constructor 11, 26 y.o., 4'1, 70 lbs, overly large pale colorless watery eyes, black hair, dark blue skin with patches of skin/scales/etc sewn/blended with his own, with mismatching legs (though they're more or less the same length). He's covered in masses of painful-looking scars in some places.

RACIAL ABILITIES: Aberration type, psionic subtype, darkvision 60', naturally psionic (+3 pp), +2 to Will (Su), +2 insight to init, attack, or save 1/day (used after check), +2 to Knowledge or Psicraft for 1 pp, swift action (mental only) 1/day for 1 pp. 0 LA.

ABILITIES: Str 8, Dex 12, Con 20 (18 + 2 graft), Int 20 (18 + 2 levels), Wis 11, Cha 7.

HP: 102 (with up to 50 temp hp for vigor, and he takes half-damage if he uses share pain).

AC: 19 (10 + 8 inertial armor + 1 dex), touch 11, flat-footed 18, incorporeal touch 19 (all but the flat-footed AC are increased by 4 if he uses defensive precognition).

SAVES: Fort +12 (3 base + 6 Con + 3 vest of resistance), Ref +7 (3 base + 1 Dex + 3 vest), Will +14 (9 base + 0 Wis + 3 vest + 2 racial) (all are raised by +4 if he uses defensive precognition).

PRIMARY SKILLS: Concentration +22, Craft: Alchemy +16, Craft: Sculpting +15, Kn (Arcana, Dungeoneering, History, Psionics, Architecture & Engineering) +17, Psicraft +22, Spot +16.

SKILL TRICKS (2 skill pts each):
-Collector of Stories (+5 to Kn checks when identifying monster abilities & weaknesses)
-Swift Concentration (concentrate on a spell/power/etc as a swift action for 1 rd)
-Point It Out (grant ally w/in 30' a Spot check w/+2 bonus to notice something I saw)

FEATS: Shape Soulmeld (Phase Cloak, go ethereal when moving more than 5')/MoI, Linked Power/C.Psi, Shape Soulmeld (Shedu Crown, telepathy 100')/MoI, Overchannel/XPH, (Shaper 1 Bonus) Boost Construct/XPH, (Shaper 5 Bonus) Psionic Meditation/XPH, (Constructor 4 Bonus) Boost Construct/XPH.

22 POWERS KNOWN, ML 10: (1) astral construct, ecto protection (useless to me, since I'll never use it, but it's a prereq), inertial armor, psionic minor creation, defensive precognition, vigor (paid for via psychic chirurgery).
(2) control sound, energy push, psionic repair damage (also useless to me, but it's also a prereq), share pain.
(3) greater concealing amorpha, ectoplasmic cocoon, energy wall, time hop, touchsight (bought using a 5th level power known).
(4) psionic dimension door, psionic fabricate, psionic open chakra (from MoI, allows me to open a chakra bind for my Shape Soulmeld feats, as well as bind items to chakra binds), psychic reformation, quintessence, wall of ectoplasm (the last two were bought using 5th level powers known).
(5) hail of crystals.

PRC ABILITIES:
-Advanced construction (extra menu abilities for A.constructs)
-Ecto protection +3 (+3 on DC for dispel attempts, +3 bonus on saves vs dismiss ectoplasm & similar)
-Boost Construct (Gain BC as bonus feat; stacks)
-Combat construction (+4 on Concentration checks when manifesting astral construct defensively)
-Extended construction (astral construct duration is 1 min/lvl)

ITEMS:
-6 +1 manifester arrows
-Heward's handy haversack
-Enveloping pit (MIC, 50' deep portable hole)
-Heward's fortifying bedroll (C.Mage, 8 hrs of rest in 1 hr 1/2 days)
-Goggles of Int +2 (MIC, acts as headband)
-Amulet of health +2
-3 chronocharms (move 1/2 spd as swift action; manifest powers w/man.time of 1 rd or 1 full rd as std action; reroll Spot or Listen check; all 1/day)
-Vest of resistance +3 (MIC, acts as cloak)
-Ring of sustenance
-Ring of entropic deflection (MIC, 50% miss chance for ranged attacks including rays, after moving more than 10')
-Healing belt (MIC, +2 to Heal, heals 2d8 to 4d8 depending on charges spent)
-Anklet of translocation/landing (teleport 10' as swift action 2/day, land on feet regardless of distance fallen, and 2d6 less dmg on falls)
-Lesser metamagic rod of Extend (double duration of 1-3 lvl powers 3/day, +1 to ML when used, when bound using psionic open chakra power).
-2 MW tools: Concentration & Psicraft (PHB, +2 circumstance bonus to skill, fluffed as crystals attached to wristbands)
-Graft, aboleth: skum eyes (Fiend Folio, +2 to Spot, +4 underwater)
-Graft, fiendish: fast leg (Fiend Folio, turns you Evil, penalty to Cha checks vs non-Evil creatures, +10' speed)
-Graft, fiendish: strong leg (Fiend Folio, turns you evil, penalty to Cha checks vs non-Evil creatures, +2 inherent bonus to Con)
-Alchemical items: universal solvents, smokesticks, sun rods, thunderstones, tanglefoot bags, acid vials, bottled air (Dungeonscape, clears 5' space of mag. & mund. fog, smoke, etc), auran mask (C.Mage, +5 Fort bonus vs gas attacks, breathe underwater).
-1 major magic weapon (rolled a +1 dancing dagger of frost, ki focus, unholy, & vicious, but I know the DM wants to reroll it).
-100 gems totaling 100,000 gp from the deck of many things (directly usable as cash).
-8 gp.
Now, I'm level 11, and the rest of the group is between 2 and 3 levels above me, with the appropriate wealth and everything else that applies. I know I'm not exactly great against incorporeal creatures (especially undead), but beyond that I don't see many gaping holes in my character. I'll be getting EK: metamorphosis with my level 12 feat to boost my AC and physical ability scores (as well as to nab immunities of various kinds). I'll also hit psionic contingency, astral seed, and maybe research second chance when I get the time to do so.

Is there anything I'm missing here? If all else fails, I guess I could do a playtest against various critters to see how I handle them more-or-less solo (or at least to see how I can participate in a group).

For reference, all 3.5 sources are allowed (with the exception of web enhancements other than The Mind's Eye, which is explicitly allowed), and there seems to be a duskblade, a cleric (dunno alignment or domains), an evil focused specialist wizard/incantatrix 1/war weaver/master specialist (abjuration/transmutation, buff & dispel focused), and a rogue/ranger/assassin. I think there's a barbarian in there somewhere as well, maybe.

Thank ye muchly, folks.

Vizzerdrix
2010-04-11, 03:13 PM
I've got a synad shaper5/constructor6 (getting into his PrC one level early through psychic reformation shenanigans), ception of web enhancements other than The Mind's Eye, which is explicitly allowed), and there seems to be a duskblade, a cleric (dunno alignment or domains), an evil focused specialist wizard/incantatrix 1/war weaver/master specialist (abjuration/transmutation, buff & dispel focused), and a rogue/ranger/assassin. I think there's a barbarian in there somewhere as well, maybe.

Umm... Can I ask how you got in early? And also, where can I find Synad?


As for forgotten stuff, Maybe a few Dither Bombs? They aren't great, but pack a punch just in case. And Shaper sand.

Lycanthromancer
2010-04-11, 04:02 PM
Umm... Can I ask how you got in early?There's a feat in Cityscape (Primary Contact) that grants you 1 bonus skill rank, even if it puts you above your maximum. That gets me in 1 level early, and once I get another level (in order to put another rank in Craft: Sculpting), I can psychic reformation it out to something else.


And also, where can I find Synad?It's a race in the back of CPsi. It has a composite mind made from 3 sub-minds, and gets the abilities noted in my first post.


As for forgotten stuff, Maybe a few Dither Bombs? They aren't great, but pack a punch just in case. And Shaper sand.Never heard of either. Function and source, please?

[edit] Wait, isn't shaper sand from Sandstorm?

The Glyphstone
2010-04-11, 04:04 PM
Ditherbombs = Grenades made by kobolds. In Races of the Dragon I think. They come in multiple flavors/sizes, with varying damage.

Vizzerdrix
2010-04-11, 04:12 PM
Ah. Cool and thanks.

Dither Bombs are from Races of the Dragon and are just a high damage alchemical item made primarily by kobolds for mining. Keeping a few on hand just in case you're caught without psy points, or dumped into a null magic/psy area may prove to be handy.


Shaper Sand is from Sandstorm. Also an alchemical Item, you can turn it into almost any mundane object with a DC 16 wis check, and reshape it as needed. I've yet to find a use for the stuff. Everything from a crowbar, to cloths, to a tent, to rope, to a castle (if you buy enough). All from one item.

Lycanthromancer
2010-04-11, 04:18 PM
I checked out shaper sand, and my Wisdom is only 10, so I can't do much with it (only a 2.5' cube), and the DC 16 check is somewhat unreliable with a +0 modifier.

I'll just stick with psionic minor creation, I think.


Ditherbombs = Grenades made by kobolds. In Races of the Dragon I think. They come in multiple flavors/sizes, with varying damage.Ditherbombs are far too unpredictable (and therefore, way too expensive) to be worrying about, even at 1/3 the cost via Craft: Alchemy. There's a chance of it exploding on my person, there's no way to tell when it explodes (1d3 rounds after shaken), the damage done is potentially very small (1d6 or 1d4x1d6 or 1d6x1d8, with extremely low Reflex saves...for half damage).

Not at all impressed, especially considering that 1d6x1d8 acid damage with a Reflex save of 15 for half damage, when it's likely to not actually hit your target to begin with, and it costs 1k gp per shot.

Uh-uh, nope, nada, no.

Also bleh. :smallamused:

lord_khaine
2010-04-11, 04:19 PM
Are those Chronocharms from MiC as well?

Lycanthromancer
2010-04-11, 04:21 PM
Are those Chronocharms from MiC as well?Yes. Yes they are. Very nice, too. You can wear 3 at a time, and you can use each 1/day (though you can only use one of each kind). They cost 500 gp.

Lycanthromancer
2010-04-17, 12:22 PM
I've had another guy running me through scenarios; one against a dread wraith (which I beat the tar out of using energy bolting/concussion blasting constructs), and one against a young adult green dragon (CR 11; which I also beat the tar out of; hooray for uber-Strength tripping vs quadrupeds and hail of crystals). Both were immune to my greater concealing amorpha, due to lifesense and blindsense; more's the pity.

After the dragon, I had to find a way to enter an ancient pyramid-temple; he expected me to give up trying to get in when I found that the door was 15' of solid enchanted stone. I couldn't fabricate it, I couldn't dissolve it using energy wall, I couldn't dissolve it using psionic minor creation'd acid, I couldn't dimension door through it, and I couldn't bypass it ethereally. Instead, I simply used the two constructs I created to take on the dragon and just pounded my way through. Even hardness 10 and ~6000 hp doesn't hold up against a 37 Strength and 6 attacks per round for 200 rounds.

He wants to toss some other scenarios at me; let's see how I fair on those, shall we?

[edit] So far, I've made awesome use of Linked Power, and astral constructs have, of course, been my primary modus operandi. I did hide in the surrounding forest from the dragon, while my construct beat it up; I used my ethereality to move from behind one tree to another to keep the dragon guessing once it full-attacked my construct into nothing, after which I pelted it with an ectoplasmic cocoon, which missed by 1 (note to self: always fully augment the DC), then made another construct to keep pounding on it. A couple of hails of crystals took quite a chunk out of its hide, and I avoided quite a nasty grapple-provoking AoO using my anklet of translocation.

I also used share pain to take very little damage throughout (though the constructs I made didn't fare so well). Chewed through half my pp, though.